Wedlocked?! (9 page)

“I'd like to talk to you whenever you're up to it,” he said, including Cole in his glance. “But perhaps you'd rather wait until morning.”

“That would be fine.” Cole spoke for the first time since he'd threatened Lockhart. “My wife needs a chance to get over this. We'll see you after breakfast.”

All Annie wanted was to get away from the bunkhouse before Lockhart came back out. “Good idea,” she agreed. “I think I'll just go take a bath in that lovely whirlpool.” It was the first thing she could think of, but a soak did sound heavenly. She needed to get
clean.
Impatiently she tugged on Cole's arm. “Come on, honey. Let's go.”

Apparently Cole was no more eager for another
confrontation with Lockhart than she was. They bid their host a hasty good-night and headed back to their room, Annie's hand firmly in Cole's.

She expected him to ask about her search as soon as they were out of earshot. Instead he stopped and turned to her on the path.

“Are you really okay?” he asked, touching her cheek with his fingers. “I'm so damn sorry I didn't get there any sooner.”

Annie realized it wasn't the time to tell him she hadn't
really
been in danger unless one counted being nauseated, that if she'd had to she could have immobilized Lockhart with any number of aggressive physical moves. Instead she smiled up at Cole, a wave of tenderness welling inside her. “Thank you for getting there when you did.” She was perfectly sincere when she added, “I was never so glad to see anyone in my life.”

Eyes dark with emotion, he managed a crooked smile. “Thank God he didn't hurt you. When I first saw you with him, I wanted to tear him apart.”

Annie didn't know what to say to that, so she started walking instead, glad the whole experience was behind her. As they reached their room and went inside, she waited for him to ask about the mission. The room was growing darker, but neither of them bothered with a lamp. Instead Cole lit a fat candle sitting on the hearth and one on the nightstand. They cast a warm, comforting glow over the rustic setting, and Annie appreciated the gesture.

Cole was acting as though her safety and comfort were more important to him than anything else. For a moment she allowed herself to bask in the idea that she really mattered to him, and then she sank onto the edge of the bed as her knees went weak.

To her surprise, he came over and sat beside her, turning so he could search her face in the candlelight. What she saw in his eyes made her tremble, and then he put his arms around her. Sighing, she laid her head on his shoulder as he held her gently. For a long time they sat that way, not moving, not talking, while she let the warmth from his body soak into her. Finally, with great reluctance, she straightened and smiled at him.

“I'm okay now,” she said.

Cole cleared his throat. “What nearly happened back there made me realize something very important.” He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek.

“What's that?” she asked, mesmerized by his nearness. Already the memory of the unpleasant scene with Lockhart was starting to fade. The tightly coiled knot of tension in her stomach began to relax, replaced by another kind of awareness that hummed pleasantly along her nerves.

“I want to be with you,” Cole murmured. “I want this night with you to be real, not make-believe.”

There were a dozen questions that needed asking, a hundred memories that should be dealt with, a
thousand painful moments Annie had suffered through after Cole left. Not one of them had the power to keep her from taking the gift of this night.

Before she could respond, Cole turned his face away. “I'm sorry,” he rasped. “You were very nearly assaulted and now
I'm
hitting on you.” He got to his feet without looking at her. “You probably want to be alone for a while—take that bath you mentioned. I'll go for a walk, give you some privacy.”

When he glanced at her again, his expression was grim, his eyes dark with hunger and remorse. “Forget what I said, okay? I'll be back after a while.”

Without taking the time to consider the eventual consequences, Annie went to him and slid her arms around his neck. It would have been easy to tell herself she was using him to erase the unpleasant memory of Lockhart grinding himself against her, but she didn't.

She wanted Cole. It was that simple.

“I don't need privacy,” she told him, tipping back her head and looking into his face. “I need
you.
”

With a muffled groan, he swept her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Long and hard he kissed her, obliterating reason and replacing it with a burning ache that was impossible to ignore. Caught up in the storm of emotion breaking around them, Annie opened her mouth on a sigh and melted
into him. No one had ever aroused the feelings in her that Cole did so easily.

Being with him like this was a breathtaking swirl of both brand-new and familiar sensations. For a moment she faltered as memories of other kisses, other times with him, swept through her with the force of a prairie fire. Clinging fiercely to him, she refused to allow those memories to take away from the here and now.

“I've missed you,” he groaned, and she chose to believe him.

“I've missed
you,
” she echoed, meaning it with every fiber of her being. Six long years were compressed more surely into nothingness with each kiss, each touch. Six long years compressed itself to no more than a heartbeat and then to a blink. By the time he lifted her into his arms, she was just as deeply in love with him as she had ever been.

Gently Cole laid her on the bed. He stared into her eyes, misty with desire, and his heart did a lazy barrel roll. Later, he promised himself, they would talk, sort through everything. For now the words ran together in his head like the colors in a rainbow. He meant to be slow and oh, so expert in his wooing, to savor each moment between them and to erase the memory of other lovers from her mind. Instead, when she sighed his name and opened her arms, emotion crashed through him like a tidal wave.

Wrapping her in his embrace, he rolled so she was above him on the wide bed. He stared into her face,
savoring each dear feature in the glow from the bedside candle. In one swift movement she separated the snaps on his shirt and lowered her head. The touch of her mouth on his bare skin pushed him closer to the edge. Fighting for control, he coaxed her shirt over her head and unclasped her bra.

Her breasts spilled into his hands. When he squeezed them gently, caressing her with fingers that trembled, she whispered his name. Her nipples had always been sensitive and she had loved for him to touch them. Urging her closer, he took the sweet bounty into his mouth. Her low moan was wildly exciting. When she shifted against him, drawing her legs up so that she was kneeling, he arched into her welcoming heat.

Vaguely Cole realized they were both still half dressed. His trembling hands tightened on the bare skin above her waist. If he didn't get inside her, he was going to explode.

Annie lifted her head. With a secretive grin she wiggled down his body while he struggled for restraint.

“Witch,” he groaned when she began working on the buckle of his belt. Her soft laughter brought back a slew of memories, spiking his desire. Somehow they managed to deal with the rest of each other's clothes, Cole fumbling with his boots and socks. By then Annie was completely undressed and even lovelier than he remembered. She'd been slim
before, but now her body was strong and supple, her curves matured in a way that stole his breath.

He wanted to tell her so, but he was afraid to bring up their shared history in any way. The last thing he wanted was to taint the present with shadows from the past. Besides, if she called a halt now, he would probably die of sheer frustration. He'd never wanted a woman as much as he wanted Annie right this minute.

Annie was watching all the while, and from the look of approval on her face, she still found him attractive as well.

“Come here,” Cole invited, stretching out and opening his arms. When she closed the distance between them, crawling across the mattress with catlike grace, he poured everything he was feeling into a passionate kiss. Annie matched his passion with an openness that was astonishingly sexy.

Moments later, when Cole claimed her, he wondered how his heart could handle the overload of feelings surging through him. Truly he'd come home. Then his brain shut down and he was pulled into a vortex of passion. She cried his name. Together they spun out of control, racing toward the sun and beyond.

 

Boneless, drifting, Annie let her arms drop from around Cole's shoulders as she waited for her heartbeat to slow. He was collapsed beside her. Making love had always seemed to knock him sideways,
sapping his strength. She'd loved that vulnerability in him. Now the only sound in the room was the rasp of their combined breathing.

As that first euphoric high began to ebb, she could feel his gaze, and she wondered what he was thinking. From outside there was a shout, followed by a burst of laughter. The noise brought Annie back to reality.

What in Sam Hill had they done? What had she been
thinking?
Cole had crooked his finger, and she'd fallen into his arms like an overripe peach.

“Annie?” The mattress shifted beneath his weight.

Confused, dismayed, she turned onto her side away from him. Doubts began circling and buzzing in her head like killer bees.

“Are you okay?” His voice was low, puzzled.

Unable to find her own voice, she nodded. Her bareness made her feel even more vulnerable, so she sat up, swinging her legs over the opposite edge of the bed, and looked for her clothes. Unfortunately they were on the floor out of her reach.

“Damn,” Cole muttered, pulling himself into a sitting position propped against the headboard. As she slanted him a glance, he raked his fingers through his hair, leaving it spiky. “I'm sorry. I should have realized you were too upset.”

He reached out and touched her shoulder with his fingertips, but she flinched away. The last thing she
wanted was for him to suspect how very much he'd affected her. And she didn't need his pity.

“I'm fine,” she said in a brittle voice. “Don't be sorry. We always were good together, weren't we?” She managed to face him. He was frowning. Maybe it hadn't been good for him. A knife went through her, making her painfully aware just how chilling was the power he still wielded over her.

“Cole?” she asked.

Slowly, as though not to spook her, he leaned forward and captured her wrist. “We have to talk.”

How desperately she wanted to curl up against him with her ear pressed to his chest so she could hear the rumble of his voice. Instead she pulled away and got to her feet. Resisting the urge to cover herself, she kept her hands at her sides.

“We're unattached adults,” she replied with a shaky laugh. “Circumstances threw us together. No need for a postmortem, is there?”

If he apologized again, she'd either hit him or burst into tears. Didn't men know anything? She was allowed to regret what had happened, but he'd better not admit to one measly doubt or he was worse than pond scum! It was a rule.

“Not a postmortem,” he replied, looking worried. “It's just that we can't move ahead until we deal with the past, once and for all.”

Panic welled in Annie. No way was she going to rehash that, not when she was emotionally turned inside out from the sheer power of what they had
just shared. “We're not moving anywhere,” she said bluntly as she bolted for the bathroom. “This was just an interlude, and now I'm taking that bath I promised myself.”

Before Cole could stop her, she'd slipped through the doorway, switched on the bathroom light and turned the lock behind her.

Ignoring his protests, she stood blinking against the sudden brightness. Then she turned the faucets on full force, muffling the sound of his voice, and emptied half a jar of bubble bath into the whirlpool. By the time she had to turn the water off or risk filling the entire room with bubbles, all was quiet in the other room.

Annie pressed her ear to the door, but she heard nothing. Had he gone to sleep? Dressed and gone for a walk? It was a warm night.

Refusing to face the thoughts and feelings squirreling through her brain, clamoring for attention, she stepped into the tub. As she did, she realized that she still hadn't told him what she found in Lockhart's room. Even more surprising, Cole hadn't thought to ask.

C
ole had pulled on his jeans and was sitting in a chair by the window when Annie finally opened the bathroom door. Although the sun had been down for a long time now, he still hadn't bothered switching on the lamps. The soft glow from the candles was somehow comforting. Maybe the shadows were just a good place to hide from his feelings about what had happened between them.

Making love to Annie had stirred up emotions he would have sworn he dealt with and put aside years ago.

“Cole?” There was uncertainty in her voice as she stood silhouetted in the bathroom doorway, wrapped in a thick terry robe provided by the guest ranch.

“I'm right here,” he said, in case her eyes hadn't adjusted to the change in the light.

She opened the door wider and stepped into the room as cautiously as a deer approaching a watering hole. “I'm done in here. Sorry I took so long.”

When he finished his shower and came back out ten minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist,
she was standing by the window. “You didn't ask if I'd found anything in Lockhart's room,” she said abruptly as he switched off the bathroom light.

“I guess I had other things on my mind.” His voice was edged with irony, but he couldn't help it. Just as he'd feared, one taste of Annie hadn't been enough to douse the fire that burned inside him. Even while she reminded him why they were really here, his body clamored to possess her once more.

She padded across the room, her bare feet nearly soundless, and picked up the pack she'd worn earlier.

Setting it on the table, she switched on a small brass lamp and pulled up a chair.

“So what did you find?” He sat down across from her, curiosity whetted.

Annie worked the zipper as slowly as a stripper peeling off her dress, finally removing the camera and a piece of paper. “I need to get this film developed in the morning,” she said. “I took pictures of a necklace he'd hidden in his boot, and I want to see if Ryan or Lily recognize it.”

“What's this?” Cole asked, poking at the other item that lay facedown on the table.

“A pawn ticket.” Annie turned it over. “The shop's in San Antonio, so I'll check it out tomorrow too. Who knows, it could lead to something.”

Cole's shoulders slumped with disappointment. What had he expected—a journal containing Lock
hart's written confession? “Did you see anything else while you were there?” he asked.

“Just some newspaper clippings on the kidnapping. No telling why he saved them.” Annie rotated her shoulders and tipped her head back and forth. “Maybe you were right about him, and our time would be better spent exploring other leads.”

“What about the necklace?” Cole asked. Although he hadn't shared her enthusiasm for the Lockhart lead, he hated seeing it fizzle.

She shrugged and the neckline of her robe gaped open, giving him a glimpse of the shadows between her breasts. “Maybe the necklace was a gift for some woman and he was going to get it repaired,” she suggested, absently fingering her lapel while Cole tried his best to stay focused. “Considering how flimsy the lock on his door is, I can't say I'd blame him for hiding it.” She sounded discouraged.

“Are you all right?” Needing the contact with her, he covered her hand with his. Her skin was cool to the touch, and he couldn't resist caressing it with his fingertips.

“I'm tired,” she replied without meeting his gaze, but at least she didn't pull away. “It's been a long day.”

“Then come to bed with me,” he invited.

She studied his face while he held his breath. They both knew what he was suggesting, and it wasn't sharing the bed for the sake of convenience. She didn't have the will to say no.

“All right.” She got to her feet and then she didn't seem to know what to do. Cole circled the table and came up behind her. First he reached his arms around her waist and untied her belt, pressing close and wondering if she could feel how much he wanted her. When she didn't pull away, he slid the robe from her shoulders. His hands were trembling like a boy's.

Slowly Annie turned to face him, while Cole held his breath. She was so lovely that he thought his heart might stop beating.

“I wouldn't have dreamed it was possible, but you've grown even more beautiful,” he said, surprised at how easily the compliment came to him. He didn't think of himself as a romantic man, but Annie brought out a side of him he'd nearly forgotten. It was a side he wasn't totally comfortable with, a vulnerable side.

“Thank you,” she murmured as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Her gaze on his, she lifted her free hand and stroked his chest, sending a shiver of awareness through him. Passion swirled in her eyes, clouding them, and she swayed toward him. With a low groan, Cole caught her up in his arms and headed for the bed.

 

Annie woke up slowly, becoming aware by degrees that she was curled against a warm male body and that they were both naked. She wasn't a morning person, and it took another moment for her to
remember what had taken place before sleep claimed her the night before.

Morning light bled through the curtains and illuminated the room. If Cole wasn't already awake, he soon would be. Annie eased herself away from him, and then she froze as his arm tightened, holding her fast. Damn him, he'd always been one of those people who woke instantly, while she stumbled around blinking and rubbing her eyes. It had never failed to amuse him, while annoying her.

Lying perfectly still, Annie debated what to do. Was he awake, or did she still have a chance to escape? Before she could decide, he solved the problem for her by lifting his head and looking at her in the dimness.

“Hi.” His eyes were wary and the lower half of his face was blurred with whiskers. He looked so sweetly vulnerable that her heart turned over. All she wanted was to stay where she was.

Instead she escaped from beneath his arm and sat up, holding the sheet against her naked breasts. “I'm sorry,” she muttered, cheeks burning. “I didn't mean to crowd you.”

A gleam of amusement appeared in the depths of his eyes and the corner of his mouth lifted. Was he remembering too, how they always used to wake up with the covers falling off her side of the bed?

“Apology accepted,” he said gravely.

Before she could think of a retort, he climbed out of bed, wearing nothing but a great tan, and headed
for the bathroom. Helplessly, Annie admired the sweep of his bare back and compact rear until the door shut behind him. With a sigh she lay back down, trying to figure out how to handle the situation when he came back out.

Before he reappeared, she grabbed her robe and slipped into it. When the bathroom door opened, she watched him cross the room without a shred of discomfort.

“My turn,” she said hastily, before he could reach for her.

She was halfway to the bathroom when, without warning, his pillow smacked her in the back of the head. His self-satisfied chuckle goaded her like a red flag. Without stopping to consider the consequences, she whirled around, picked up the pillow and pelted it back at him.

The loose sleeves of her robe hindered her aim; the pillow hit the edge of the mattress and fell harmlessly to the floor. With a shout, Cole lunged for it and missed. When he nearly tumbled out of bed, it was Annie's turn to laugh. Before she thought to retreat, he grabbed another fluffy weapon and advanced with a pathetic attempt at a menacing scowl.

Where had this playful streak come from? she wondered as they circled each other warily. He'd had too much dignity to stoop to such antics before, but she couldn't disapprove of this new side to him.

“You don't scare me,” she exclaimed, puckering up to blow him a smacking kiss and then grabbing
an embroidered cushion from the chair. As she swung it, Cole pivoted to the side like a quarterback eluding a tackle. He tossed another pillow that she barely managed to dodge, all the while laughing helplessly. She stuck out her tongue and he rushed her with a shout of triumph, but she managed to swing the cushion again and smack him in the side of the head. He staggered. Then, to her dismay, he let out a
whoop
and tackled her.

Together they tumbled to the sheepskin rug as Annie shrieked a protest. Right before they landed, Cole twisted so she was on top and he took the brunt of the fall. His arms were like steel bands as she stared down at him, chest heaving. The laughter faded from his face and his hand cupped her head.

Desire swept through her. But a moment later her sense of self-preservation kicked in and she stiffened. “It's time we got going.”

Instantly his expression changed from triumph to concern, and he let her go. Knees shaking with reaction, she scrambled to her feet. How could she explain or even admit that she felt as though she were being swallowed whole?

The awkwardness between them lasted through their meeting with their hosts. After he'd served them both coffee, Glen Appleberry apologized to Annie again and tore up the bill for their stay. In return, she assured the Appleberrys she had no intention of suing the Circle A.

“Mr. Lockhart left last night,” Glen told them as
he escorted them from his office. “But you can't go without a good ranch breakfast under your belts. It's the only way Myrtle and I will really know there are no hard feelings over what happened.”

Annie and Cole exchanged glances. He shrugged. It seemed easier not to argue with their host. When they entered the dining room, the couple they'd met the day before waved them over. Judging from the interested stares of the other guests, word of their confrontation with one of the employees had gotten around.

Annie tensed as Cole held out her chair, fearing an inquisition. Instead, after Carol Best asked whether Annie was okay, nothing more was said. Gradually, as the heaping plates of eggs, bacon, sausage and fried potatoes were served, the others at the table all started eating, and Annie began to relax. Beside her, Cole helped himself to the dish of fresh fruit that was passed.

As soon as he and Annie were done eating, they said goodbye to the other couple and left the dining hall. Cole returned Myrtle Appleberry's wave and then opened the car door for Annie without a word. Their bags were already in the trunk. As they drove through the gate, she couldn't resist one last backward glance. So much had happened in the last day and a half; she needed time to sort it out.

Meanwhile, Lily's case would keep her busy and there was still a chance that either the necklace or the pawn ticket from Lockhart's room might link
him to Sophia. As soon as they got back to San Antonio, Annie intended to develop a few new leads.

As Cole drove in silence, she looked out the side window. Although the low-growing cedar and oak gave the impression of greenery, the ground in the Hill Country was actually quite rocky. Scattered among the chunks of limestone were prickly pear and other kinds of cactus. Perhaps Annie would explore the area at greater length someday when doing so wouldn't be too painful a reminder of the time she'd spent here with Cole.

According to the flyers she'd picked up in the lobby at the guest ranch, there were several tourist attractions in the area, including the LBJ State and National Historical Parks, a couple of museums and numerous places to eat. Annie hadn't been up this way for several years and a trip back someday might be pleasant.

“Share your thoughts?” Cole asked when several more miles had gone by.

“Just thinking about the case,” Annie replied. “When I talked to Rosita, she mentioned a dream she'd had.”

“Ryan says she's psychic,” Cole replied in a cynical tone.

“I take it you don't believe in that.”

“I heard about her dream.” He rolled his eyes. “Something about horses and a trail of blood.”

“And a pair of gloves,” Annie added.

Cole glanced at her. “So?”

“Although the police found a lot of fingerprints in Sophia's suite, none of them were Lily's. What if the killer wore gloves?”

Cole arched a brow. “What are you getting at?”

“Lockhart wore leather work gloves both times I saw him.” She shifted in her seat, crossing her legs. “I think it's time to take a closer look at his alibi.”

“I thought you already questioned everyone at the ranch.” Cole said.

“I'm curious about that call he received just at the right time to establish his presence at the bunkhouse. It's a little too convenient, if you ask me. Did you remember seeing any phone records with the police reports?”

“No, but I requested them, and I'll check again as soon as I get to the office.” Cole slowed for a turn. “Now that Lockhart's unemployed and probably upset about getting fired, things could be getting dangerous. From here on, I want you to keep me apprised of every move you make.”

“I don't think that's necessary,” Annie protested.

Cole's expression was grim. “But
I
do. If you won't agree, I'll insist that Ryan fire you for your own safety.”

Annie sat up straighter. “You wouldn't!”

“Watch me,” Cole told her. “And you know I could do it. No matter how Ryan feels about clearing Lily, he would never sacrifice someone else to save her. He's not that kind of man.”

Annie was too frustrated to reply. Instead she tried to come up with an argument to dissuade Cole from speaking to Ryan. How humiliating it would be if he did!

“I want your word that you'll keep me posted and that you won't take chances without talking to me first,” Cole insisted.

“You're tying my hands,” Annie cried. “I can't work like that.”

“Yes, you can. As long as Lockhart is a suspect, we have to be careful. If he finds out you're an investigator, there's no telling what he might do.”

Annie let out a sigh of annoyance. She had no doubt that Ryan would go along with Cole if he carried out his threat. “We don't know where Lockhart's gone,” she pointed out. “And we don't have the time to find him.”